Katzion, work by George Vrysas, year 1737

The elaborate silver katsion was made in 1737 by the goldsmith George Vryssas. An identical katsion from the Vatopedi Monastery, made by the same goldsmith, bears a Slavonic inscription, which gives the mark of the geographical origin of the object. It has a wide and flat handle, in the form of a large leaf, which folds at its free end and ends in a cast dragon's head. On its upper surface are attached three hammered plates. The middle one, which is hammered and gilded, depicts the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, to which the catholicon of the Vatopedi Monastery is dedicated. The other two trapezoidal tiles bear a floral decoration, rendered with enamel and a wire technique, in the type of floral baroque prevalent in 18th-century silversmithing. The remaining surface of the handle is decorated with low bulges and precious or semi-precious stones. Bells hang from its lower part and, approximately midway along its length, it is joined by a vertically placed cylindrical support handle. The katzi container has a foot with a circular base and a perforated cover in the shape of a conical architecture. At the point where the censer joins the horizontal handle are two small dragon heads.